Antalya
Country: Turkey · 2,426,356 inhabitants · Founded: -149
Attractions
Wikivoyage
Not to be confused with Alanya, a resort 130 km further east, or with Antakya a historic city in Hatay province of eastern Turkey.
Antalya is a city in Pamphylia on the Turkish Mediterranean coast, and the chief resort of the "Turkish Riviera". It's a metropolis with a population of 2.7 million in 2022, the fifth largest city in the country.
Wikipedia
Antalya is one of the largest cities in Turkey and the capital of Antalya Province, the fifth-most populous province. Recognized as the "capital of tourism" in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera, Antalya sits on Anatolia's southwest coast, flanked by the Taurus Mountains. The urban population of the city is around 1.5 million, with a provincial population of 2,722,103.
The city was formerly known as Attalia and was founded in around 200 BC by King Attalus II of Pergamon. Attalia was soon conquered by the Romans. Roman rule saw the city thrive, including the construction of several new monuments, such as Hadrian's Gate, and the flourishing of nearby ancient cities such as Patara, Xanthos and Myra in the Lycia region; Perga, Aspendos and Side in Pamphylia; and Sagalassos, Antioch and Termessos in Pisidia. These cities were already significant centers before Roman influence. Antalya has changed hands several times, including to the Seljuk Empire in 1207 and an expanding Ottoman Empire in 1391. Ottoman rule brought relative peace and stability for the next five hundred years. The city was occupied by Italy for three years in the aftermath of World War I, but was returned to Turkey during the Turkish War of Independence.
While the city itself only has modest elevation changes, Antalya has high mountains in all directions to its interior. With moisture being trapped, the local climate thus has high winter rainfall, while the interior bay setting results in very hot summers for a coastal city.
The city is Turkey's biggest international sea resort on the Turkish Riviera. Large-scale development and governmental funding has made it a prime destination for tourists. Antalya is currently the fourth-most visited city in the world, trailing behind only Istanbul, London, and Dubai, attracting more than 16.5 million foreign visitors in 2023.